Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

A Level Results Day

479 replies

3catsandadog · 30/07/2018 09:50

Hi If UCAS does not update first thing before the school opens for result is it a bad sign that the offer has been missed.
Good luck to everyone awaiting results :)

OP posts:
CheeseTheDay · 16/08/2018 17:55

Bagel - she is considering a remark, not to change the decision, but because she really wants an A in History!

I loved my time at Sheffield, and I know DN will too.

Xenia · 16/08/2018 18:13

BigM, the loans system means for most of your costs whether your parents "support" you or not is fairly irrelevant. If your loan does not cover the amount of your rent you can usually get a job to fund the difference and live cheaply once there. The absence of his father giving a top up should not matter although may be there is some way in that case to get a slightly bigger loan for those of very low means if the mother also doe snot contribute ( I support my two alone at university and their father doesn't pay but they are still supported by a parent - plenty of women earn more than their husbands these days of course! so fathers can withdraw anything they like but mothers are sitll around to pay with their money or shared money)

Horsemad · 16/08/2018 18:16

@teta, so pleased to hear your DD got her VetMed course. Smile

Reading here has brought back so many memories...

teta · 16/08/2018 20:10

Thank you horsemad.

Dragonglass · 16/08/2018 20:29

Phew! Busy day here.
DD didn't apply for uni because she really didn't expect to do well in her A levels. She has actually done better than she expected, so I suggested a look at clearing. She now has 2 verbal offers, so is frantically filling in her Ucas application, while trying to decide which to go for.
She hasn't stopped smiling all afternoon and I am so pleased for her 😊

mr405 · 16/08/2018 20:48

Hi all,

Big congratulations to everyone. I went into Clearing and it felt like the worst thing in the world, but honestly now I would not change anything. My grades of BBB got me into a top 20 university where I had an amazing time, met wonderful people and studied a degree I truly loved. Further down the line I don't think it has made any difference to my career in terms of success, although I did go down a slightly different path than I originally thought I would.

I've spent several years working at a uni, and although I don't work in admissions I was heavily involved in the Clearing process, so if anyone has any questions please feel free to ask them!

AyUpMiDuck · 16/08/2018 21:52

Mr405
Thanks for offering to give advice- yes I have a question!
This morning DS had results ACC. Not enough for his first choice AAB. They are over subscribed and would not be persuaded.
He was emailed an offer of a similar place on an insurance/backup course at the same uni - a course which has the same entrance requirements of AAB as his first choice; he realises that he was lucky to get the new offer and has accepted it by email. He is now panicking because this new offer is not showing up on Uni Track even though he has email assurance that he can have a place. He says his first choice place is now cancelled and he will lose the accommodation offer that was linked to it. He wants to retain that accommodation place but can't accept the Uni place until it appears on some online system. He has been waiting and checking since 3pm. What can he do? TIA

Twistella · 16/08/2018 21:54

I feel really weird today. Dd decided to change her a level subjects after her AS levels so only took one a level this year (two next year). We are on holiday and she hasn't been able to check in with school so has no idea what she got. Obviously uni isn't on the cards this year if ever, but we are both feeling stressed. If she passes I will be relieved

mr405 · 16/08/2018 22:14

Hi, AyUpMiDuck

Sorry to hear it's been stressful. I'm surprised that if his offer is at the same institution that they would withdraw his accommodation. Did the university tell him this or has he panicked and misunderstood? It should be a fairly simple case on his UCAS track as him accepting a change of course offer, as far as I'm aware he shouldn't have any rejection on UCAS.

If possible, get him to get his UCAS page up now and take a look. I would ring the uni first thing tomorrow (lines should open at 8am) and ask them to go through the situation step by step- if you are his proxy on his form you can speak to staff directly, although I personally prefer speaking to the candidate but understand wires can get crossed.

But first get clarification on what exactly has been said and what the current situation is. As I say, if it is the same institution and they have offered him a place on a different course on UCAS then he isn't in clearing- he is the one that needs to either accept the change, or reject it. If he rejects it he will either be placed at his insurance or be in clearing.

I hope this makes sense- it's a bit difficult to explain without seeing any of the information in front of me, but I hope it makes sense. Feel free to message if want any more help.

BigMamma99 · 16/08/2018 22:20

Thank you all for your support. Had a whole red with DH when he got home. He seemed calmer. Left DS and DH to have a chat. Neither saying what they talked about but both seem happier. DH is coming with us on Saturday to see uni. Fingers X’d. Just could have done without all the drama

OhYouBadBadKitten · 16/08/2018 22:26

Dragon, how brilliant for your dd :) congratulations to her!

Daisymay2 · 16/08/2018 23:01

Congratulations to all those off to University.
Just a reminder to all going to Uni to get an Meningitis ACWY vaccine if they haven't already had it!
GP might need to order it in so book soon!

MoorMummy · 16/08/2018 23:25

My son missed his offer last year AAB , for BCD but later ACC after remarks. We were heartbroken on the day but by lunchtime he had an offer at Sheffield Hallam to do the exact course he wanted and he’s had an amazing first year and looking forward to the second. At the time my friends mum a wise old Irish lady said to him ‘what’s for you won’t go by you’. After this year I’m now convinced she was right. Hope you are all ok xxx

candyangel · 16/08/2018 23:28

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

MoorMummy · 16/08/2018 23:35

Can I just say that anyone getting into either Uni or Sheffield or Hallam, that the town is absolutely great for students . I’ve spent loads of time there this year in DS first year and it’s a fab place to be a student. Happy to answer any questions if I can x

hairymoragthebampot · 16/08/2018 23:37

Proud Auntie over hear with a Niece heading to Cambridge! My eldest was a nightmare with A levels three years ago and had to resit to get into his chosen uni (3 C's wasn't going to cut it) and did get A *...very stressful for us parents! Well done everybody

Dowser · 16/08/2018 23:45

Congratulations to those who have done well and to those who haven’t done as good as they thought sincere commiserations.
Was in the same boat , 23 years ago when our very bright daughter got disappointing results.
We were expecting one or two As , maybe a B or two
What we got was B in general studies, U in physics and Maths and in her top subject computers, a D

I was in France at the time when she rang...I thought she was playing a trick on me.

Well she got accepted at every university she applied for but decided to go to the one closest to home.
She did so well. Landed a good job locally and after .6 years then her salary was £30k which was really good for our area in 2004
She loved the company she worked for.

So tell them not to despair.

zzzzz · 17/08/2018 00:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Horsemad · 17/08/2018 00:16

That's a shame zzzzz Sad

At least she'll have her grades in hand when she applies again, so won't be waiting on results.

zzzzz · 17/08/2018 00:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

cathyandclare · 17/08/2018 05:49

@HellonHeels This happened to my DD. I think if your DS just missed one grade Cambridge count it as a 'near miss'. you then go into a pool and could potentially be picked up by another college. it leaves you in limbo for a while.

Is it worth getting anything remarked? DD phoned her college and got a verbal assurance that if her grade went up on remark, they'd still take her, even if she was fished from the pool by someone else.

In the end, after a stressful few days she got the extra mark she needed to get an A* . Good luck to your son, he's done brilliantly, it's horrible how they can be so sad about what are, objectively, such great results.

mumsiedarlingrevolta · 17/08/2018 08:16

@AyUpMiDuck Not to be the bearer of bad news but the same thing happened to my DS last year-he missed his course and the Uni offered him another immediately on the day-he did lose his accommodation-but it was fine in the end and he had a great year Grin Dreading next year doing it with slightly more dramatic DD... will need Gin

AyUpMiDuck · 17/08/2018 09:13

Thanks mr405 and mumsiedarlingrevolta DS now thinking he will retake a levels to get on a good course in a year..... emotions!!

Clairetree1 · 17/08/2018 09:17

Dd got her grades but needs to defer a year. The university have refused.
Why is she trying to defer for a year at this stage? Why does she think the university will agree to that? its not likely - she applied for this year. There is no reason for the university to agree to defer.

titchy · 17/08/2018 09:30

Telling them she's deferring for a year NOW is absolutely the worst timing ever from the POV of the university. They're desperately trying to fill 2018 places, and she's another they thought they had that's just been lost. Why didn't she defer earlier?

Assuming she got the grades though she'll almost certainly get an unconditional offer for next year so don't sweat it really.